Latest Posts

Tonight: Lettuce

November 11, 2015

There are two kinds of lettuce: one, a boring vegetable, and the other, an influential funk band. Lettuce brings the full course of the meal even though they’re named after what some would call an appetizer. Historically, they came together in 1992 at Berklee School of Music up in Boston, Massachusetts. Not having any gigs to speak of, the gang would consistently ask bands to “let us play,” which sonically translated into “Lettuce” after much repetition. Nowadays, they’re not begging for an audience: they’ve got one. It’s been two years since Fly! came out on Velour Recordings, and with their latest studio album, Crush, they’re picking up where they left off with a twist. Lettuce has always had a “big band” sound due to its larger size: Erick “E.D.” Coomes on bass, Adam Deitch on drums and percussion, Neal Evans on keys, Hammond B-3 organ, and piano, Eric Krasno on[...]

Andrew Biggie – Mementos from the Living World

October 26, 2015

The description for Mementos from a Living World by Andrew Biggie states that this EP has made Anselm Kiefer’s children dance. Investigating this fascinating artist (and bold claim), I discovered a quote by Kiefer that resonated with me, “Art really is something very difficult,” he says. “It is difficult to make, and it is sometimes difficult for the viewer to understand … A part of it should always include having to scratch your head.” Drawing from several ever-changing and cyclical sources, many have tried to pin down Kiefer’s art with no avail. This rings true for Andrew Biggie.  Outside of producing solo material, he participates in the spoken word Bourbon and Coffee series and the freak-folk band Helen. Biggie’s album appears on the bandcamp page for “Super Rad Great Times,” which doubles as a blog, showcasing music, writing and art books. Some songs are straightforward. You know what they’re trying to[...]

Jax Deluca – Wither Without You

September 9, 2015

I’m always a sucker for a play on words. The title of Jax Deluca’s first solo release, Wither Without You, embodies the strength of defiant independence and the honesty of underlying defeat. The toss and turn of an addiction: to a lover, a friend, a long-gone identity, a habit. Combining meditative melodies and insightful lyrics, Deluca weaves a collection of songs that foretell the in-between feelings we all experience. It’s what good poetry does–expresses the collective through a seemingly personal lens. Recorded in the Karpeles Manuscript Museum during business hours, one can imagine bodies gazing at the current boxing exhibit, while Deluca strums the ukulele and Kyle Marler works the pipe organ, creating a dual experience of artistic coercion. Even though live albums aren’t particularly rare, the audio engineering by Benjamin Jura, and the mixing by Damian Weber, nuance the sounds so that it’s (almost) impossible to tell where they[...]

Chelsea Wolfe – Abyss

August 9, 2015

About a week after listening to Chelsea Wolfe’s new album, Abyss, out on Sargent House Records, I had a lucid dream of what it was like to suffer from sleep paralysis. In the dream, I woke up, but my body was still, unmoving. A shadowy, demonic figure attempted to attack me, as I screamed obscenities and chants to make it go away. I woke up, finally, only to realize it had been an illusion. Upon waking up, again, in my bedroom in Buffalo, I felt disturbed and a little violated. This is a condition that Ms. Wolfe deals with frequently. Sleep studies say these figures, aka “hypnagogic hallucinations,” are a combination of the fact that we are still dreaming and the ability to access collective realms beyond the mind. While someone is experiencing sleep paralysis, their amygdala (what controls our fear systems) gets jacked up, and if we’re still dreaming, this projects[...]

Tonight: Tiny Rhymes

July 18, 2015

Upon investigating the musical genre “chamber folk” that Buffalo-based quartet Tiny Rhymes goes by, I discovered a historical fact: that it is also called the “music of friends.” Indeed, each instrument whispers to each other, creating a delicate hush of fae compositions, led by strong lyrical prowess. A distinct sophistication presents itself in the group’s debut EP, A Kinder History, which recently came out on Forest Park Recordings. The EP is crisp, methodical, and on point; not the raggedy sing-song vibe you’d think of from singer/songwriter acoustic-folk. Besides coming off as a pleasantly acoustical number, the group’s formal choral and musical training shines through. Sharon Mok & Katie Weissman, both core members of the group, have played in a variety of musical outfits from an early age, both professionally and personally. “Arrows,” the first song off the EP, leads in with a crooning, enchanting melody. Throughout the song, Mok’s vocals are spotlighted[...]

Wildhoney Band, Baltimore

Tonight: Wildhoney

June 2, 2015

Baltimore-based Wildhoney has been pegged as the latest ‘shoegaze’ band, which is a box they quite dislike. While they do incorporate elements of gazing into their tunes, Wildhoney’s melodic trajectories are quite clear, whereas groups like My Bloody Valentine & Slowdive integrate deeper walls of sound and repetitive, other-wordly chords. Wildhoney strays away from drowned out sensations, and creates an upbeat, pop-tinged array. Think 60’s chick bands vibin’ with 80’s bands like The Cure or The Sundays. The elements of shoegaze, therefore, are a stylistic approach to the indie-pop music they classify themselves as. This year, the group put out their first full length LP, called Sleep Through It. The album includes early song releases, personal favorites such as “Seventeen Forever” and “Get Out Of My Dreams.” Lauren Shusterich’s lush chords sing catchy lyrics that we can all relate to on a personal level, touching on the nostalgic and depressive[...]

Hop Along – Painted Shut

May 12, 2015

One could imagine each song off Hop Along’s latest album, Painted Shut, as a string of fictional characters partaking in the same short story collection. The embarrassed ex-girlfriend, the abused kid, the powerful man, the mental patient. All of these situations could remain in an archetypal setting, but they are made personal by singer-songwriter Frances Quinlan’s cathartic, riveting voice, and poignant but precise lyrics. Each song details a rich narrative that rises up from the subconscious to the surface. It has that effect of, “Oh, man, I forgot about that.” Hop Along’s lyrical content in Painted Shut is more centralized than their previous release, Get Disowned. The veins of anti-folk and untethered pop remain, albeit in a controlled manner. This album was recorded in a short time span, under the direction of producer John Agnello (who recently did Kurt Vile’s Walkin’ On A Pretty Daze, and has recorded the likes[...]

Lotus: Pioneers in a Gilded Age

March 31, 2015

After finishing up a seven week tour, Lotus is back on the road to celebrate over a decade of music, what they have dubbed The Gilded Age Tour. Jesse Miller gave us some insight on the band’s evolution, process, and latest material. The group has grown not only as musicians, but also as an impetus in the culture of ‘mindful’ music. A culture that encourages and believes in music itself, as a powerful, motivating force that keeps us going day in and day out. The feeling and belief, that, yes, if you see a Lotus show, your life more than likely will change. That is the vibe Lotus creates–they unconsciously shift your aura, uplifting it into a blissful experience. Lotus has solidified as a band, taking great dedication to keep making music. Each album seems to analyze the prior, taking and pulling it apart, reorganizing the sound into more electronic, or[...]

Pogo – Younghood

June 25, 2014

Mostly everyone understands the idea of a sample or snipped included in a piece of music. The point, if the musician gets it right, is to relate the clip to the thematic vibe of the music or lyrics. Many hip-hop artists do this successfully (Wu-Tang Clan, Aesop Rock) as do electronic musicians (Ratatat, Ott). One unique thing about Australian electronic artist Pogo is his usage of strictly taking samples from movies, television shows, and film scores to create a new composition. He is certainly a master at collage, and perhaps a Pop artist. A few years back, he created a famous mash-up of the score of Alice In Wonderland simply titled “Alice.” The YouTube hits skyrocketed, and I even remember stumbling upon the shocking goodness of the piece. With his latest release, Younghood, he doesn’t stray too far from his down-right trippy instrumentals. First track “Kermit Clouds” samples the voice of Kermit The[...]

Lana Del Rey – Ultraviolence

June 18, 2014

Even if you aren’t a fan of the mega-pop star Lana Del Rey from small town Lake Placid, New York, you’ve heard her hits–“Young & Beautiful,” “Blue Jeans,” or “Summertime Sadness” rolling through the speakers of bars, clubs, and beaches (I can assume, some of her favorite spots). Her mesmerizing, grandiose voice is what sets her out from the overproduced run of the mill pop stars, much like Gwen Stefani did when her solo album dropped. The release of 2014, Ultraviolence, still feels like Ms. Del Rey, with a turn in musical accompaniment and the inclusion of longer ballads that she is prone to record. Throughout the record, Lana Del Rey opens up her locations, citing Brooklyn, the West Coast, Florida, and perhaps Texas in the Western-inspired song “Black Beauty.” Thematically, the content is driven much like her former albums, focusing on money, sex, cheating, and fame. More so than ever cheating[...]

Tonight: Andrew Jackson Jihad

June 17, 2014

Folk-punk duo Andrew Jackson Jihad, consisting of Sean Bonnette and Ben Gallaty, surely have a way with words. The first line that struck me from the group was “There’s a rapist and a Nazi living in our tiny hearts.” Even though the initial reaction is to sit back and protest—“I am certainly not a Nazi,” the underbelly of the statement means that we all can be evil, we all have the capability to damage and create chaos. Such is the vein that most of the songs AJJ runs along. They’re critical masters. In the song “FWP (Fuck White People)” they take a political dig at the larger representation of the good old USA “First they take the land, then they take the soil, and with their bloody hands, they dig for oil.” This past May, AJJ released Christmas Island, an album that featured a more orchestral sound. Lyrically, Sean Bonnette didn’t stray[...]

Tonight: Weazildust

June 12, 2014

Weazildust. The name sounds like a fictional character from the tales of The Brothers Grimm stories that eats little children and turns hay barrels into piles of gold. Weazildust is not a fictional character, though. It is the stage name of Jimkata drummer Packy Lunn, who is coming through Hardware tonight at 10pm. Lunn mixes are full of energy and will make you spin magical pelvic rotations at the first downbeat. One minute it sounds like an 80’s downbeat with drum pad percussion, the next it rotates throughout disco and trance. What’s difficult for some DJ’s appears seamless to Weazildust. His transitions are layered and he knows how to work his samples. Simple enough–if you wanna get down tonight, hustle your crew and give the man a high five…it’s free.

First Aid Kit – Stay Gold

June 11, 2014

First Aid Kit, composed of the elven-queens Klara and Johanna Soderberg, hit an Internet nerve after they placed their cover of hit Fleet Foxes song “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song” on YouTube back in the year of 2008. Shortly before that, they had already re-recorded their first EP, Drunken Trees, with the help of their school-friend’s father, Karin Dreijer Andersson, who is one half of The Knife. At this milestone, the young ladies were the age of fourteen years old. Fourteen is a pinnacle year, especially from a developmental standpoint. You’ve survived the castrating year of thirteen of endless questioning and doubt and latched onto a form, an outlet–whether that’s singing, sports, writing, etc. You see glimmers of your passion. You swim this sea without the poisoned expectation of achievement. Perhaps, this is the best blessing. Continuing on this vein of relinquished expectations is a good way to be. First Aid[...]

Tonight: Sugar City’s Soul Night

June 6, 2014

With the recent revival of Sugar City’s new space on Niagara St., things are up and running again for the do-it-yourself Buffalo group. Tonight, they invite you to shake up your hips and let loose to the tunes of the soul movement. Talk with your groove and speak with your inner funk. Kicking off the night is Handsome Dan, followed suit by a crew of individuals who will surely bring the tempting, soothing sounds all evening long: DJ Press, DJ SALINGER, Boss Matto, and Czubie. To encourage safety, they’re granting free admission to bikers who come down wearing their helmets. Get buckled up and fly down to Milkie’s so your toes can stretch and knees get a little freaky. Use 5 charms to get in the door. This event is also 18+.  Now do yourself a favor and enjoy this live Marvin Gaye song!

SBTRKT – Transitions

June 4, 2014

SBTRKT had the right idea when he split his latest LP, Transitions, into three phases. Each two track pairing plays off the thematic tones of the one before. The latest of the three came out today and it signals a darker, ominous twist from this formerly upbeat and dance-heavy producer (think of “Wildfire ft. Little Dragon” and “Hold On ft. Jessie Ware”). The final phase is a follow-up to the first two song sets, especially “Kyoto,” a track that bounces on fuzzy downbeats and a muted, smooth minor melody swirling in and out. “Highs and Lows” comes in with wild scoops of synthesizer and punchy downbeats. A tropical trill spins in and out of transition. Starry, punchy, fluid twinkling noises weave their way through the sparse noise. Second on the release is “Stifle,” a track that turns down the volume on intensity. An asymmetrical percussion features a drum downbeat, clap,[...]